Tag Archives: Cinderella

Tonight’s premiere of Say Yes to The Dress Atlanta really pushed a few of my buttons. Actually just one bride on the show for some reason made me stop and think. Before I go on, this show and the original Say Yes to The Dress are my guilty pleasures. I love this show, you see brides choosing a dress for their big day, not too much fake about that (well except for the ones who really are there to get themselves on television by any means) and as an expert people watcher..I love to hear the brides stories or watch the mothers who just can not let go. However ba

ck to to this episode…tonight we met a bride named Tessie who at age 21 is engaged to the love her life, her boyfriend from high school. Tessie came along to the salon with her parents, sister and an entourage to help choose her gown. Tessie stated she wants to transform into a princess for her wedding.

Ok this is not a new story with brides…on every single one of these wedding shows you come across a bride who wants the whole princess experience. Like Tessie on SYTTD Atlanta most of them do not have Princess Diana or Kate Middleton as their ideal princess, usually Cinderella is tops. They want the full ball gown along with the bling and I get it..every woman wants on her wedding day to be the most beautiful woman in the room. She wants all eyes on her, she wants her moment of royalty.

Say Yes to The Dress’ format includes little snippets of interviews with the bride, her entourage and the shop’s employees during the bride’s dress selection and this was where I had my little epiphany..after trying on a few gowns in her price range that included a knock off of Duchess Kate’s dress, the stylist decided what Tessie really was looking for was not to be a real princess but rather a fairytale princess. Good old Cindy enters the picture once again. The bride Tessie finally decided on a big ball gown style dress that is all fluff and frills that brought out the water works and they showed her interview ..she said (and I am para phrasing not quoting here) I am so happy, I love this dress, this is what I have dreamed my whole life about, getting married to the man of my dreams, it is what every little girl wants.

Ok hold the phone…getting married is very exciting (and very stressful) BUT as the mother of girls I am really hoping that getting married is NOT the lifelong dream they are harboring. I feel like if waiting for prince charming to come and whisk them away is my girls main dream then I seriously did something wrong raising them. I think in this day and age every child, male or female, should strive to pursue their dreams…love weddings?..become an event planner, design gowns, get involved in the industry. Do not dear daughters dream of weddings and happily ever afters at such a young age. Dream of being strong, loving and independent women who leave their mark in this world.

I want my girls to develop strong girl relationships, to pursue their educations to the fullest, to dream about visiting exotic places, and to become strong confident women so that once the right man comes along my daughter is ruling queen to his king, not a fairytale princess waiting for her prince to rescue her. When the time is right and my daughters choose to get married, I pray they leave Cinderella in Orlando where she belongs